Clutch mechanism particularly applicable to wire twisting or tying machines



March 22,1927. 1,622,146

- E. A. INGOLD CLUTCH MECHANISM PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO WIRE'rwls'rma OR TYING MACHINES Filed April 26, 1924 3Sheots-Sheot 1 E. A.meow CLUTCH MECHANISM PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO WIRE TWISTING -March 221927 OR TYING MAQHINES Filed April 26, 1924 3 Sheets- Shoot 3 I Z?zwanin- Zrzzasi (if @020! wijzz y Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

manner ALBERT ING'OLD', be iloitnoitmidterm, iteereaoit r w. 62 '0',Martin, or

16113011, ENGIJAND.

CLUTCH rtnorrai rreivi PARttiCutA-Rii arrhiiielnnite wiltii Twrsrnre asmeme.

M-rteHmEs Application filed A r-ii as, 1924, seriar m.

ihe pi-'imary object of this invention is to provide aclut-ch mechanismoonirectin-g the driving and driven members oi machines for binding ortying wooden orother boxes,

I? bales or the like with hoops-of wire; the ends oi which are twistedtogether by causing them to overlap and gripping; the overlap with oneor more twisting pini'o'nsby means of which the two wires are twistedtogether on either side oft-he grip or giripsi, c

In such machines it is found that when the twisting operation iscompleted the twisted part of thewire' binds" in the slot of thetwisting pinionor pin-ions and prevents the ready ejectionof the twistedwire'thereirom; and that it is necessary for this purpose" to relievethestrain upon the twisted wire andtwisting pinion or pin-ions by r0-tating thelatter' through a suitable angle in $0 the direction oppositeto that by whiclrthe twistingof the wire is effected;- the wholeoperation, including this reverse rotation, being effected by means ofclutch mechanism which comes automatically into action at appropriatephases after a: starting handle has been manually actuated.- 7

It is to this clutch mechanism that the present inventionrelates and,altho'ugh primarily designed with relation to wire twisting machines; itwill be obvious that'- it is applicable to any machinery in, which it isnecessary after rotating a driving shaft in a' given direction to adefinite extent" (which may be many or few turns or part of'a turn) itis necessa-ryfor. the shaft tob r'o' ta-ted automatically in the reversedirection to a definite extent.-v V y The invention will be describedmore particularly with reference to its application, to wire binding ortwisting machine's, whether these have oneyor more twisting; pinionganyreference tothe twisting pinion being understood to extend also to' thecase of ma chines with more than one such pinion,- e. g;

to' machines-having two oppositely rotated twisting pinions.

lli-e invention is i llust fated ie the accent pa nyingl drawings asapplied to a wire-bind ingor twisting machine having two oppo= s'it'elyrotating" pinions; Fig. I being a verti cal section showin the eesntial"arts of such-a machine taker-r on line l 1 of Fig: 2-; which-1s aplagirView sliowing the, clutch and gearing ot' the machine but omitting tl'ie702x235, aid in Great Britai'n Ma'y 26, r923.

twisting foinions and" accessories carried by the top plate; Fig. 3 is apart Vertical section corresponding with Fig; 1 but showing parts oi theapparatus in". a different working position; Figs: 4;; 5y 6'; 7 and 8are detachedaviews or various .part-"s 01" the appa-' ratiis, Fig; tbeingse'ction on the line H or Fig. 1; Fig. 5' a section on the line 5+5of Fig". 2; and Fig-s. 6' and Theing sections on the lines 6 -'6 and7"7, respectively, of Fig. 5. v

Iii this; machine there are provided two power wheels 1 2 which rotatecontinuously in one ci recti'on one of them; which may he called theprimary power whee-li, being comiectab'le by means of a clutch (hereinaite'r called the primary clutch) with a power shaft by which therotation of the twisting liiinio'n's 5;: 6' is effected through suitablegear-during the operation er twisting the wires,- while the other orsecondary power wheel 2-" is brought into operation by means of a:clutch 7 at a predetermined poirit in the twisting operation to actuatea cam shaft- 8 by means of which various operations are performed orcontrolled, including the reverse rotation of the twisting pin ions 5,6.

The primary power wheel with the power shaftd' by means of a clutch pil-i 9 which is slidahl axially in or i'ipon a" collar or disc 3 fast onthe power shaft t and is projected at the appropriate momei'it intoengagement with a; dog ld, of which there may be one or more, orequivalent coupling element on the adjacent face of the primary powerwheel 1.- In the idle position; i; e. when the power shait is stationary, the clutch pin 9 is held against aid-a1 movement by a lockingdevice 11 which is withdrawn automatically by the action of a cam 12, ofwhich there are as many as there clutch dogs IO, ori the primary powerwheel 1* to permit the clutch pin 9 to he shifted iirto driving.engagement with the cooperatirig" me'mher 10'. The locking" device mayconveniently be ii, the for-iii oilever 11 marinate as at 11-" upon thefieee collar 0% di c 3' and pro ting into a; "slit 13 in the" peripheryof this disc so to engage: a notcli- 14 in the clutch pin 9'; until thelo'clriri'g' lever ll is wi lra'wn by the i-igageinent of a, howl orroller 15 carr'ied upon an. arni 16' projecting: irofirtlre 1 isclutched tail; of the lever with the cam 12 on the power wheel 1.

lVhen the clutch pin 9 is locked by locking lever 11, its rear endextends into a guide aperture 17 extending through adisc 18 which isloose on the primary power shaft J. and is capable of rotation throughan angle determined by the position of two stops 19. 20, on the framing.In one of the limiting positions, namely the starting position (Flg. 5),in'which the fixed and free discs 3 and 18 are coupled by the clutch pin9 and the latter is locked against axial displacement by lever 11, theclutch pin 9 is in alignment with a slidably mounted spring-urged rod 21which is normally held by a latch 22 and preferably adjustable stop 23against the action of aspring 24, the release of which latch by means ofthe operating handle 25 acting through shaft 26 and lever 27 permits thesliding rod 21 to be forced by its spring 24 against the rear end of theclutch pin 9, so that, upon the withdrawal of the locking lever 11 therod 21 shifts the clutch pin 9 clear of the free disc 18 and intodriving engagement with the clutch dog 10 on the primary power wheel 1.The rod 21 is then retracted and its spring 24 compressed by the actionof a cam 28 on the power shaft 4 engaging a collar 29 pinned on the rod21, and the latch 22 is simultaneously restored to its initial positionas in Fig. 3. The rod 21 is held in the position shown in Fig. 1 toprevent disengagement of the clutch pin 9 by means of a spring-urgedlatch 30 which, when the power shaft 4 re volves, is returned by meansof a cam 31 upon the end of the shaft to bring an aperture 32 of saidlatch into alignment with the end of rod 21 which thereupon is retracted. from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 3 bythe action of the cam 28 against the collar 29 in opposition to thespring 24.

The end of the driven shaft 33 (Fig. 2), which is geared through pinions4 and 33 with the primary power shaft 4, has a small crank pin 34 (Figs.2, 5 and 6) projecting slightly beyond the end face of the shaft whichis flush with the framing (Fig. 6), and the free disc 18 has upon itsface adjacent to the end of shaft 33 a recess providing a ledge withwhich the crank pin 84 engages so as to shift a projecting arm 36 (Fig.5) fast on the loose disc 18 from the upper stop 19 on the framing tothe lower stop 20, whereupon the crank pin disengages the cooperatingledge. The arm 36 is re-- stored to its upper position against stop 19by the secondary or cam shaft 8 as hereinafter described. The free disc18 is held up against the top stop 19 in position for coupling with thefixed disc 3 by the end of the rod 21 which is urged to project to aslight extent into, the square guide aperture 1.? i

the free disc 18. The rod 21 is retracted from this square aperture bythecam 28 to enable the crank pin 34 to turn the free disc 18 as abovedescribed. 1

When the continued movement of th power shaft 4 again brings the clutchpin 9 into alignment with the guide slot 17 in the free disc 18 theclutch pin 9 is forced rearwardly by the action of the surfaces of theclutch dog 10 and pin 9 out of driving e11- gagement and into theposition in which the free andfixed discs are again coupled. In themeantime the cam shaft 8 has become coupled with the secondary powerwheel 2 through the secondary. clutch 7 and continues to be driventhereby after the power shaft 4 has become declutched from the primarypower wheel 1, in the manner de scribed in U. S. Patent No. 1,486,396 ofMarch 11, 1924, by means which form no part of the present invention.

A cam 37 on the cam shaft 8 engages a lever 37 which is connected by alink 37 with a lever 39. The lever 39 has one end. fulcrumed on a pincarried by the framing and its other endengages with the arm 36projecting from the free disc 18, so that, as the cam shaft 8 rotates,the disc 18 is rotated in the reverse direction until it reaches thefirst limiting stop 19, which determines the initial position. Theconsequent reverse rota'tion of the power shaft 4 through this deli.-nite angle effects the reverse movement of the twisting pinions 5, 6necessary for the release of the strainon these pinions and on thetwisting wire.

As shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 7 the two faces of the free disc 18 havecircumferential recesses 40, 41 extending backwards from the guide slot17, the recess 40 on the front side being provided to obviate anyhammering action of the end of the pin against the face of the disc 18and any possible deformation of the shoulder against which the crank pin34' engages to rotate'the free disc 18, while the recess 41 on the rearface is a sloping recess designed to guide a roller 42 on the clutch pin9 gradually beyond the surface of the free disc 18, so as to ensure thatthe clutch pin will enter the guide slot 17 in the free disc 18.

The operation ofthe apparatus is as fol lows :In the starting positionthe fixedv .disc 8 and the free disc 18 are coupled by the clutch pin 9,and the clutch pin 9 is locked against axial displacement by the lever11 and is in alignment with the slidably mounted rod 21. Theslidablymounted rod is held in the position shown in Fig. '3 by thelatch 22 andadjustable stop 23 against the action of the spring 24. By turning thehandle 25 the latch 22 is released from the stop 23 and the spring 24 ispermitted to force the rod 21 against the rearend of the clutch pin 9,so'that," when the lever 11 is withdrawn from the notch 14 of the clutchpin 9 by the action of the cam 12 of the power wheel 1 upon the roller15, the, rod 21 shifts the clutch pin 9 clear of the free disc 18 andinto driving engagement with the clutch dog .10 of the power wheel 1.The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 1. During the firstpart of the rotation of the power shaft 4 the right hand end of, the rod21 remains in engagement with the loose disc 18 and the left hand end ofthe rod 21 abuts against the latch 30, which, upon the forward movementof the rod 21 has been forced upwardly by the action of its spring, andthe disengagement of the clutch pin9 from the clutch dog 10 is therebyprevented. After the power shaft has rotated through a predeterminedangle, the latch 30 is depressed by the cam 31 onthe end of the powershaft 4 so as to bring the aperture 32 of the latch into register withthe end of the rod 21, whereupon the latter is thrust, by the action ofthe 02111128 upon the collar 29, to the left. The continued rotation ofthe power shaft 4 and the shaft 33 driven therefrom brings the crank pin34 on. the end of the driven shaft 33 into engagementwith the ledge ofthe recess 35 in the free disc 18 and consequently turns the disc 18counter clockwise (Fig. 5) through a definite angle which is determinedby the disengagement of the pin 34 from the corner of the ledge in therecess 35, so that the arm 36 on the free disc 18 will be moved from itsinitial position against the stop 19 to the stop 20. WVhen'the continuedmovement of the power shaft 4 again brings the clutch pin 9 intoalignment with the guide slot 17 in the free disc 18 the cam surface 10of the clutch dog on the power wheel 1, acting upon the cam surface atthe right hand end of the clutch pin 9, pushes the clutch pin towardsthe left into the guide slot 17. The wheel 1 is then unclutched from theprimary power shaft 4 and the clutch pin 9 lies entirely within thediscs 3 and 18.

In the meantime the cam shaft 8 has become coupled with the secondarypower wheel 2 through the secondary clutch 7 and continues to be driventhereby after the power shaft has become declutched from the power wheelin the manner described in the aforesaid United States Patent No.1,486,396. The rotation of the cam shaft 8 effects the reverse rotationof the free disc 18 by engagement of the cam: 37 on the shaft 8 with thelever 37 which is connected through the link 37 with the lever 39 andthe arm 36 on the disc 18. The result of this reverse movement is toshift the arm 36 from against the stop 20, into which posit-ion it wasmoved by the pin 34 on the driven shaft 33, against the stop 19, whichdetermines the initial position of the free disc 18. The reverserotation of the free disc 18 effects the reverse The apparatus,hereinbefore described may be modified in many respects withoutdeparting from the present invention, so long as the sequence ofmovements of the power shaft and the subsidiary shafts followautomatically upon the operation of the starting handle and the clutchpin is prevented by an automatically released look from coming intoengagement with the driving clutch except at the appropriate phase orposition of the latter.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the bestmeans I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim 1.Clutch mechanism. comprising a power shaft, a power wheel carried bysaid power shaft, an axially movable clutch pin,- a clutch member on thepower wheel cooperating with said clutchpin, means normally locl: ing.the clutch pin against axial movement, mechanism actuated" bytherotation of the aower wheel to release said locking means, a sliding rodaxially aligned with the movable clutch pin, a latch normally engagingsaid rod to hold it in the operative position, and means carried by thepower shaft and operative to withdraw said latch.

2. Clutch mechanism comprising a power shaft, power wheel carried bysaid power shaft, an axially movable clutch pin, a clutch member on thepower wheel cooperating with said clutch pin, a sliding rod axiallyaligned with the clutch pin and adapted to hold the clutch pin in theoperative position, an automatically projected latch for engaging therear end of said rod, and holding said rod in operative position, aspring tending to hold said rod in its operative position, a collarcarried by said rod, a cam on the power shaft engaging said collar toretract said rod against the action of said spring,

and a latch operating to hold said rod in its retracted position. v

3. Clutch mechanism con'iprising a power shaft, .a power wheel carriedby said power shaft, an axially movable clutch pin, a clutch member onthe power wheel cooperating with said clutch pin, a sliding rod axiallyaligned with the clutch. pin and adapted to move and hold said pin inoperative position, a latch automatically projected to engage the rearend of said rod, a spring normally urging said slidable rod into itsforward or operative position, a collar secured on said rod, a camassociated with said power shaft and engaging said collar to relit)tract said rod against the action of said spring, an adjustable stop, alatch cooperating with said adjustable stop to hold said rod in itsretracted position, and means including a starting lever to disengagesaid V aligned with the clutch pin and engaging said pin to hold itnormally in operative position, a latch actuated by the power shaft toengage the rear end of said rod, a spring normally urging said rod intoits forward or operative positioin'a collar secured on said rod, a camassociated with the power shaft and engaging said collar to retract saidrod against the action of said spring, an adjust able stop, a latchcooperating with said stop for holding said rod in its retractedposition, and means including a starting lever for displacing saidlast-named latch to permit said spring to project the sliding rodforwardly and shift the clutch pin into its operative position.

5. Clutch mechanism comprising a power shaft, a power wheel carried bysaid power shaft, an axially movable clutch pin, a clutch member on ithe power wheel cooperating with said cliitchp'in, an axiallymovable'rod engageable with the clutch pin for holding said pin inoperative position,an automatically projected latch for engaging therear aid of said rod, a spring normally urging said sliding rod into,its forward or operating position, a cam associated'with the power shaftfor retracting said sliding rod against the actionof said spring, anadjustable stop, a latch cooperating with said stop to hold said rod inits retracted position, means for displacing said last-named latch topermit the sliding rod to move the clutch pin into engagement with saidpower wheel a disc normally loose on the power shaft and rotatablethrough a definite angle, means for limiting the angular movement ofsaid loose disc, a shaft driven from the power shaft a crank pin on saiddriven shaft operative to rotate the loose disc in one direction throughsaid definite angle, means for coupling said loose disc to the powershaft, and cam-controlled means operative to revolve said loose discthrough a definite angle in the reverse direction while coupled to thepower shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to "this specification.

ERNEST ALBERT INGOLD.

